PEOPLE all over the world can hear the Scots language thanks to a
website.

Glasgow University researchers have created the site, which
contains more than four million words in Scots and Scottish English.

In addition to explaining the meaning of Scots words and showing
how they are used, the site has links to audio recordings, allowing
people to hear the words being spoken.

People from America, Australia, China, Japan and South America have
already logged on to the site.

It includes text from 1945 up to the present day, with researchers
working on expanding it to include words dating back to the 18th
century.

Once completed, it should allow people to trace the development of
features of Scots and Scottish English.

Project researcher Dr Wendy Anderson said: "The Scots language
is a source of interest across the world, as it is one aspect of a long
and flourishing cultural heritage.

"The website will be a useful resource for researchers and
students, language learners and teachers ... not to mention for the
large number of general users who just want to satisfy a curiosity about
the Scots language."

The online resource, which is funded by the Arts and Humanities
Research Council, can be accessed at www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk.

LANGUAGE researchers claim PM Gordon Brown and other leading Scots
politicians have changed their accents to mimic their English
counterparts.

But SNP leader Alex Salmond has not changed his accent, despite
spending two decades at Westminster.

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